Amplifier attributes

Does the amplifier require different abilities when used with, electrostatic, moving coil or horn loudspeakers. Or is a good amplifier a good amplifier used within in its operating limits. 

Are Colin's more powerful amps unnecessary with electrostatic speakers as they don't have to control moving coil units.  

Will be getting a rejuvenated Claymore at some point when this is over and owned the granite 20w seca before it got messed with so know how good his gear is.. 




Comments

  • edited March 2020
    Where to start? 

    And I'm probably not the person to start. Blind, deaf and dumb leading the blind, perhaps.

    But I think you're going the right way about it, by approaching it from the speakers. Otherwise, you are very likely to end up somewhere in Peter Walker land - ironic that. 

    Sure enough, a good amplifier is a good amplifier, but you're/we're looking for the ideal amplifier for a particular application. Which is why I have a pair of SECA's powering (is that the word?) the not-so-efficient Royds in a reasonably large room. Oh!

    What would be the ideal amp for the Quads? I haven't got a clue! But I'm sure Colin will have lots of ideas. 
  • edited March 2020
    Oddly, on my permitted run this morning, this popped up on shuffle...And I thought of this thread as hobbled along the Gloucester western bi-pass.
    New FADs "Amplifier".



    ("There's a board with four plugs in
    Fourth one coming out, near amplifier"
    There are four connections to some of the boards in my One4 SECA... :-:-1:

    "Two can easily become a crowd
    Or an amplifier, amplifier"
    And the inside of a case can get a bit crowded with Colin's dual-mono designs...)

    The New FADs: An early 90s indie band with a percussion player. What's not to like?
  • Docfoster said:
    Oddly, on my permitted run this morning, this popped up on shuffle...And I thought of this thread as hobbled along the Gloucester western bi-pass.
    New FADs "Amplifier".



    ("There's a board with four plugs in
    Fourth one coming out, near amplifier"
    There are four connections to some of the boards in my One4 SECA... :-:-1:

    "Two can easily become a crowd
    Or an amplifier, amplifier"
    And the inside of a case can get a bit crowded with Colin's dual-mono designs...)

    The New FADs: An early 90s indie band with a percussion player. What's not to like?

    That's fun. I don't think I've heard it or of them.
  • uglymusic said:
    Docfoster said:
    Oddly, on my permitted run this morning, this popped up on shuffle...And I thought of this thread as hobbled along the Gloucester western bi-pass.
    New FADs "Amplifier".



    ("There's a board with four plugs in
    Fourth one coming out, near amplifier"
    There are four connections to some of the boards in my One4 SECA... :-:-1:

    "Two can easily become a crowd
    Or an amplifier, amplifier"
    And the inside of a case can get a bit crowded with Colin's dual-mono designs...)

    The New FADs: An early 90s indie band with a percussion player. What's not to like?

    That's fun. I don't think I've heard it or of them.

    I've redirected to the "Listening..." thread! ;-)
  • It’s quite easy to damage esl speakers by feeding them too much power. The quad 303 was purpose designed to drive them; they output up to about 45 watts. I’d imagine an old claymore would suit them very well. I think it’s likely to be very stable distortion wise over the full power range. 
  • The early NVA circuit was 20W and developed on ESL57. RDs amps are quite sensitive to reactive loads, so although panels are a stiff load, I believe they're not terrible for an amplifier that can drive some current. 

    The Claymore has no trouble with ESL (whether the vintage or current Claymore). The nice thing about the Claymore Colin just rebuilt is it was apparently a special build, either a review model or made for friend/family. He reckons it's full of 1% resistors and other rarities that means it's one of only ten made. Total overkill!

    It laughs at ESL panels...
  • ESL have a tendency to go low impedance at higher frequency and horn to do the opposite.
    Also normally ESL need lower power as they can arc inside, and this will kill them.
    Quad max I would not go above 70W (my watts) RMS.
    Horns can break up at higher level but on the whole are much simple to drive. 20W - 70W all power into 8R , horn can go to 20R and ESL as low as 1R so for the M100 for example 50W out in to 8R as a level is 400W into 1R loads or current 20A RMS, bye bye transformer in ESL. but not worry most folk including  Alan and myself would have dismantled under the vibration, and been just dust. he he
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